Thursday, December 06, 2012

Long-time readers may recall that some time ago I suddenly started putting on weight and inches around my waist; ironically this was due to an attempt to change my eating habits to something healthier. A few modifications later and I'm back to where I was and all the new trousers I had to buy now require a belt.

One of the modifications made was a snack during mid-morning; I wanted something that was healthy (ish), light, and easy to eat. Cereal bars seemed like the ideal choice, but I found they were either full of sugar and fat or taste-wise far too intense for my palate. They also had the problem in that they were far too crumb-ridden not something to be eaten at a desk or near a computer unless you've got a handheld vac nearby. Going through various types I discovered something that seemed ideal - Fruit Bowl's School Bars.

Basically a solid fruit paste - easy to store and keep, a choice of four simple flavours, five in a pack, and cheap at around £1.50 a pack. I could buy one pack of each flavour and alternate one-a-day so a full round would last me a month before I needed any more. Better yet they were stocked in the Co-op, Sainsbury's and Morrisons so I could pretty much pick them up regardless of where I was shopping without having to make a special visit to a particular store.

Co-op have stopped selling them; Sainsbury's have stopped selling them; Morrisons are selling only two flavours. Oh yeah of course what should I have expected. It's like the Sanchi Shoyu Soy Sauce that's vanished; the only stuff now available has added sugar (rather than wheat) and/or uses soy extract (so that's water, plus soy extract that itself is mostly water) I had to get the Kikkoman which is the same price for half the amount; good stuff though.

However this time around I spotted what could be a substitute - Nakd, but similar to my soy dilemma; only four per pack and 50p more. Not as paste-like as the school bars, but still minimum crumbage.

Sainsbury's only seem to be selling them in packs [Update they sell some of them individually opposite to where they sell them in packs], but Morrisons' had them singularly. So I've been munching through a variety of flavours.

Ginger Bread - Not too gingery a bit like a ginger malt loaf in texture.
Cashew Cookie - A little too bland.
Cocoa Orange - Woof. Concentrated dark orange chocolate. A little too rich for me, but I know those who'd like it.
Berry Cheeky - Oh yes. Fruity, but not overly so. Definitely my favourite.
Cocoa Loco - More nutty than chocolatey to me. Enough of a taste to be acceptable.
Apple Pie - Not bad, not really appley to me though.
Banana Bread - not bad; enough banana to be tasty but not over-powering.

A few more flavours to try. But so far enough of a selection I like to intersperse with the few remaining flavours of School Bars I can still locate. That is until they stop selling these too.